The present invention is directed to a metal worktable comprising a tabletop and removable legs. The legs are mounted in leg-supporting gussets. The use of gussets to connect legs to a horizontally-oriented tabletop to make a worktable is well-known in the art. The gussets are often directly secured to the underside of the tabletop and the legs are simply inserted into the socket portion of each gusset to complete the assembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,349, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a worktable having leg-supporting gussets. The gussets described in this reference are fixed securely to an inverted hat-shaped channel frame that is in turn secured to the tabletop.
A problem with the prior art designs is that when the tabletop is subjected to forces from above, such as pounding on the tabletop with a mallet, the top surface of the table legs would contact the underside of the tabletop. Over time, this contact leads to the tabletop becoming dimpled or even cracked from the top surfaces of the table legs pushing up against the underside of the tabletop.
The prior art solution to the above problem was to use a top plate at the top of the gusset to prevent either the table leg or the top of the gusset from directly contacting the underside of the tabletop. This in turn required extra material and extra steps during fabrication.
Additionally, where worktops of the prior art had a metal lip around the perimeter of the tabletop, the corners of the tabletop required a substantial number of steps to form the corner.
The present invention provides a worktable having removable legs and mitered corners that overcomes the limitations of the prior art.
The present invention is a metal worktable comprising a tabletop and a plurality of table legs. The worktable has leg-supporting gussets to secure each of the table legs. Each gusset has a socket for receiving one of the table legs. Inside the socket of the gusset, there are stop protrusions that prevent the top surface of the table leg from directly contacting the underside of the tabletop. The worktable also has a inverted hat-shaped channel frame having a pair of side flanges that form the xe2x80x9cbrimxe2x80x9d of the inverted hat shape. There are openings in the channel frame corresponding to the location of the table legs. At each opening in the channel frame, the corresponding leg-supporting gusset is recessed in the channel frame. The gusset contacts the side flanges of the channel frame rather than the underside of the tabletop. The channel frame is attached to the underside of the tabletop. Additionally, the corners of the tabletop are mitered to form a continuous lip
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a worktable where the table surface is not disfigured or otherwise damaged from the top surface of the table legs contacting the underside of the tabletop.
It is another object of the present invention that the mitered corners of the tabletop do not require a substantial number of fabricating and finishing steps.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, it should be understood that the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is provided for illustration only. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to an ordinarily-skilled artisan from this detailed description. Therefore, it is understood that both the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and do not restrict the scope of the claimed invention.